By Modupe Gbadeyanka
On Monday, the Oyo State Government decried the low turnout of pupils in public schools as schools resume the first term of the state’s 2022/2023 academic session.
The Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (Oyo SUBEB), Mr Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, expressed his disappointment when he monitored some schools in Ibadan to ascertain the preparedness of teachers and pupils for the resumption of the new academic session.
He appealed to parents and guardians to release their wards to resume school. He also urged parents in the rural areas not to stop their children from attending schools because of market days.
Some of the schools the team visited include Islamic Mission School, 2 and 4, Odoye; IMG Basic School II, Oje-Igosun; Methodist Pry School, Age, Igbo-elerin; and IDC Sagbe, Pabi-ekun.
“So far, we have visited some schools, and we are not too impressed with the turnout of pupils. However, we are satisfied with the turnout of teachers.
“We are using this opportunity to appeal to parents and guardians, especially those in rural parts of the State, to release their wards to return to school,” Mr Adeniran said.
“The exercise will continue in the other zones of the state. We visited some schools today, including those in remote areas, like Igbo-elerin in Lagelu LGA, and the turnout of pupils was not impressive,” he added.
Mr Adeniran, who monitored the resumption in the company of a full-time member of the Board, Hon. Akeem Oladeji and some directors affirmed that teachers have commenced teaching in schools visited.
He said the essence of the exercise was to further motivate the teachers and pupils for improved performance.
The SUBEB chief, who called on private investors to help boost the education sector in Oyo State, added that the present government encourages development devoid of political undertones.
He hinted that while the state government has invited bids for the renovation and construction of a storey building of 10 classrooms in Islamic Mission Primary School, Odoye, Ibadan North, the board will soon approve a Federal Representative, who formally indicated an interest in building a block of 3 classrooms in the same school.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Mr Rahman Abiodun Abdu-Raheem, has said the newly approved benchmark for the 2022 Joint Promotion Examination for Senior Secondary students transiting to the next class is fifty per cent (50%).
He said that passing at credit level in either English Language or Mathematics and four other relevant subjects in the area of study is sacrosanct for SS1 and SS2, expected to resume for the 2022/2023 academic calendar on Monday, September 19, 2022.
The Commissioner also affirmed that the Oyo State Government is working earnestly on the payment of grants to schools and the development of infrastructures in schools throughout the State.
